Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity
It has been said that the missionaries came to Africa with the mindset that Africans were without culture or at best, they had an evil culture that must be completely eradicated. They rejected anything African so as to introduce the Western culture which they considered enlightened. However, whateve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Noyam Journals
2020-11-01
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| Series: | E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ERATS611203.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797721983706726400 |
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| author | Christian F.W. Gbekor |
| author_facet | Christian F.W. Gbekor |
| author_sort | Christian F.W. Gbekor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It has been said that the missionaries came to Africa with the mindset that Africans were without culture or at best, they had an evil culture that must be completely eradicated. They rejected anything African so as to introduce the Western culture which they considered enlightened. However, whatever teaching that the then missionaries and church leaders later introduced, would have to be processed through African cultural lenses. By that, the people applied their own cultural concepts to the teachings they received. This paper examines how cultural concepts of the authority of leadership help the African Christian to situate and interpret the teachings and practices of the universal church from their own perspectives. Authority is defined and examined from the perspectives of legitimacy and functionality. The question of who has the final authority in the church is also discussed to strengthen the corporate leadership practised and offer some solutions to challenges of in-fighting within the leadership of congregations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:42:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5da7cbc30dc54d8286d4e71309f909f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2458-7338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:42:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Noyam Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-5da7cbc30dc54d8286d4e71309f909f22023-09-02T13:11:42ZengNoyam JournalsE-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies2458-73382020-11-0168364373https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.2020113Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African ChristianityChristian F.W. Gbekor0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5928-7486Global Theological Seminary, Adenta Accra and Maranatha University College, Sowutuom AccraIt has been said that the missionaries came to Africa with the mindset that Africans were without culture or at best, they had an evil culture that must be completely eradicated. They rejected anything African so as to introduce the Western culture which they considered enlightened. However, whatever teaching that the then missionaries and church leaders later introduced, would have to be processed through African cultural lenses. By that, the people applied their own cultural concepts to the teachings they received. This paper examines how cultural concepts of the authority of leadership help the African Christian to situate and interpret the teachings and practices of the universal church from their own perspectives. Authority is defined and examined from the perspectives of legitimacy and functionality. The question of who has the final authority in the church is also discussed to strengthen the corporate leadership practised and offer some solutions to challenges of in-fighting within the leadership of congregations.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ERATS611203.pdfauthoritylegitimacyfunctionalityconsent |
| spellingShingle | Christian F.W. Gbekor Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies authority legitimacy functionality consent |
| title | Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity |
| title_full | Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity |
| title_fullStr | Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity |
| title_short | Examining the Authority of Church Leaders in African Christianity |
| title_sort | examining the authority of church leaders in african christianity |
| topic | authority legitimacy functionality consent |
| url | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ERATS611203.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christianfwgbekor examiningtheauthorityofchurchleadersinafricanchristianity |